Be an Ambassador for Your People

Your greatest asset is in your people.

They need to be led.

They need to feel appreciated.

They need to know that you are there to back them up.

No matter how well you have done developing your team and bringing them up, accidents will happen. In a productive environment the people on your team are bound to make a mistake at one point or another. A leader that is a good ambassador will act as a shield for their people, standing right up front, taking the hits before the team gets hit.

When this happens, they will trust you more because you are not seen as a “boss” but as someone who is on the same side. This is how it should be, because this is how it works best.

Be genuinely interested in who they are and what they do. If you are not authentic, they will see right through you. You shouldn’t have a hidden agenda or an ulterior motive. Do it out of admiration and because you ultimately care about their success.

When they see that you are going to be that shield for them, a few things happen:

1. You earn their trust.
2. They become more loyal.
3. They become more engaged.
4. Work becomes fun! Passion ignites and more is innovated and completed.
5. They feel empowered because they ARE empowered.
6. The relationship you have established is strengthened.

When the team is faced with adversity and they aren’t supported or do not feel supported, passion and drive will suffer. When passion and drive fizzles out, so does productivity and innovation. Those minds are the single greatest origin of success in what you’re trying to create and should be preserved.

You can be the ambassador for your team:

1. Talk positively of the team when not in front of them.
2. Be someone they can look up to, set an example.
3. Be continually gracious for the outstanding work performed, and let it be known outside of the team as well.
4. Market their abilities, recognize their strengths.
5. Be a filter. When things come down from the top, be there to absorb it before the team does so they can remain productive.
6. Clearly communicate to them that you are going to be there. They have your support. They can count on you.
7. Deliver! Your actions definitely speak louder than your words.

What are some of the things you do to be the ambassador your people need?

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